Friday, December 31, 2010

Oh no! You forgot to buy your 2011 Hyde Park Cats calendar? We're all sold out. Lucky for you, you can get a fantastic calendar made by our Chicago neighbor and partner-in-cat-rescue, Yvette, who recently travelled to Argentina. While there she worked on helping the cats in Buenos Aires.

Thanks to some end-of-year donors: to Lydia K., at the the behest of Meng Ning in lieu of payment for her cat-sitting services; to Amy M., the adopter of Sweet Pea (and to her friend Megan H. for facilitating); and to Yoko K., who adopted Tapioca last year.

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Nobody has claimed the gorgeous doggie found last week at 49th and Drexel. She was clearly somebody's pet and is very sweet. If you are interested in meeting this sweet girl, she is at the AWL facility at Wabash and 62nd. We believe AWL is calling her Dixie; her intake number is #1385, dated 12-18 at 3:00 PM. Potential adopters should ask to speak with Diane when they get there.

Penny is as pretty as a shiny penny. She comes from the Champagne-Furbana colony where Candice has discovered her sweet nature. Life on the streets is tough on a single mom, so Penny is afraid of dogs and doesn't get along with other cats, either. She's all loving attitude to a person, though! Penny is about two years old, spayed, etc. She loves attention! She loves to play and to gaze out of the window. If you're seeking a singleton cat to add grace and adventure to your life, consider this your lucky penny.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Julius is an outdoor cat being cared for by our favorite police officer -- who brought us Officer Fancy Pants and Rigoli. Julius was clearly somebody's pet once upon a time, but has been at the officer's feral colony for a bit. He is seeking a forever home ... he loves to be petted and has perfect litterbox habits. Start the New Year with a new friend. Adopt Julius!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Carmen, the cat who spent a night in the foyer of the Carmen building, is now available for adoption. He is neutered, vaxed, and tested negative for FIV and FeLV. I love the heart-shaped black nose in the middle of the upside-down white heart on his face. He has a lot of white on his legs and ... black jelly-bean pawpads! He has a nice, spunky, loving personality. You want him to sit down in your lap? OK, just sit down! He's at ease in his environment; he has a penchant for "pate" (canned cat food with chunks of meat in it). He's very friendly and would love to help you keep warm this winter.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Lucia Clara came out of her surgery at Tree House just fine. She was bright and alert post-surgery. You can see the eye area is a bit swollen but personally I think she seems relieved! She's saying "thank yooooooo"!

Thanks to Lakshmi R. and Norah O.D., who donated towards Lucia Clara's care. We know she received excellent veterinary attention at Treehouse and is about to make some lucky person very happy.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Last year we took in a beautiful tiger and white boy named Hoppy. LAST YEAR! Hoppy was brought to the PAWS Chicago adoption program ... where he is, still. Hoppy is a beautiful, playful, loving boy. He needs some sensitive-stomach food, which is apparently holding him back from finding a forever home. Can you help us get Hoppy a home for Christmas? He's been waiting over a year! He is available for immediate adoption through PAWS Chicago.

Tiger siblings Cleo (f.) and Darius (m.) are four-month-old best buddies. There is still time to adopt these beautiful babies for Christmas. Darius is watching the snow fall down in this picture ... wouldn't you like to cuddle with kitties and watch the snow fall down, too?

Monday, December 20, 2010

I was planning to bring my feral cat in before the cold snap because I'd seen some signs of improvement in Lotta lately, though she still maintained a distance of 10 feet at all times (unless a fence was between us), only appeared after dark, and sometimes ran up to the food I was setting out and swatted my hand (I thought it progress that nails ceased to be used lately).

I just barely trapped Lotta on the 12th in blizzard-like conditions, and released her in my bathroom (to be moved to laundry room later). I was somewhat resigned to the idea of having a semi-feral slinky cat in my basement from now on, much like Terren's cat. (Terren: My cat and I resent that. I have a half-tame low-slung cat adding a spark of life to the basement.)

Long story short (see pics): this cat has changed! And I finally noticed that "Lotta" is a boy ... now Robin. So I'm really surprised. He does not want to go back outside. I guess I have worked very hard at caring for him. He has been getting 2 cans of wet food a day since October, and handwarmers in his shelter at night...but I'm still shocked. Maybe it was the blizzard?? Or just him seeing me with my happy cats??

Robin is spending a bit of time in a spare room for assessment. We expect to put this gorgeous green-eyed tabby patch up to adoption in the new year!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Carmen spent Friday night in the foyer of The Carmen on 54th Street after following somebody home. He's a sweet male cat--ravenous and a bit thin but he loves to be petted and to nuzzle. He allowed kisses from little girls with no protests, even though they were complete strangers. This is a bad picture; he has a shiny black coat and nice white tennis socks. We'll have him neutered on Monday. Unfortunately we are in quite a bind regarding foster homes! So if you have been waiting for the perfect black and white cat with an adorable black nose and fancy white whiskers, please look no further and bring Carmen home for Christmas.

Friday, December 17, 2010

On Saturday (Dec. 11) Marienne and MJK, caretakers of the MJK alley, made the difficult decision that it was time to let Mona go. She had been brought in to Tree House for booster shots and assessment, and the vet reported that her mouth was "toxic" with sores and pus, that she was profoundly dehydrated, and that she had a serious heart murmur (5/6). In addition, her coat was so seriously matted that it would have required shaving. The vet said that she was in considerable pain due to the condition of her mouth and that her heart condition would be fatal. Under those circumstances, euthanization was the only humane option, and she died peacefully as MJK held her head. MJK writes, "I am terribly sad, but also greatly relieved that we were able to spare her more suffering and that we were spared the horror of finding her frozen one day. Both Marienne and I loved this brave little cat who survived nearly three years with FIV. Her courage and pluck are an inspiration."

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Rigoli is a nice friendly boy who needs a bit of time to learn to trust you, but then will be a warm and loving companion. He has a lovely nose and very sweet eyes. Rigoli was found wandering around the 53rd/Ellis intersection as an unneutered and hungry tomcat (there are numerous unowned cats in that area). He has received his veterinary services, including neutering, at Tree House and is available for adoption. He's going to make someone who likes a big ginger cat very happy! We've named him after our favorite police officer, and because he has what his finder calls "a nice assertive Chicago cop attitude, particularly about any missing breakfasts."

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Effi is a gorgeous young grayish/tiger man who followed some students home. Without a tag or microchip, and with no owner stepping forward, Effi joins the legions of stray cats who are demanding their right to a loving home. Fosterdad Chris writes that "he loves attention and he is the biggest lap cat ever. If I am working at my desk he will jump up on my lap between me and the computer and sit there while I type, nuzzling and purring. He also loves tummy rubs and lets you know he wants one by rolling over onto his back and lying there. He does this cute thing where he stretches out one arm at a time while you pet his belly. He is an aggressive nuzzler and purrs a lot." He's not the most playful cat ever, but Effi is a talkative kitty with a repetoire of meows, chirps, purrs; when fosterdad comes home, Effi is at the door meowing and talking. He likes rubbing against ankles, and all around is affectionate and happy to see people. Adopt him!

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Some HPC volunteers helped build winter shelters for outdoor cats at PAWS Chicago this weekend. PAWS puts these shelters in outdoor-cat colonies all over the south side. If you would like to help build shelters or go on a drive-around to feed and help TNR some of the enormous outdoor-cat population around us, please email hydeparkcats@gmail.com for more information. We can help with carpooling or mass-transit togetherness. It's a wonderful hands-on volunteer experience that makes an immediate difference. You might even save the next Lucia Clara!

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Update on Lucia

Lucia was admitted to Tree House Humane Society and is there now. Tree House makes sure each cat has a unique name; they had already had a Lucia, so her name is now “Lucia Clara” – even better (Clara after the Nutcracker character, as in this past weekend's wonderful "Nutcracker" ballet put on by the nonprofit Hyde Park School of Dance. The vet's initial assessment was that Lucia Clara seems to have an old head injury that might have created internal pressure that caused the eye to bulge out. The eye is definitely dead, and it will have to be removed. Unless something more complicated emerges, that should be a fairly simple procedure. After the eye is removed, the socket will be cleaned out and stitched up, and she’ll be good to go. The Tree House people were all just amazed by how sweet and affectionate she is.

Thanks to Mike R., Martha B., and Chelsea N. for their donations towards Lucia's care. Because Treehouse admitted her, we have re-donated that to Treehouse for her veterinary care. If anyone wishes to further contribute to her care, we will forward that money to Tree House. We feel being at Tree House, with veterinary staff on hand, is the best place for this little sweetheart. We will provide updates when available. Good luck and all our love from Hyde Park, LUCIA CLARA!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Lucia was found in a backyard in Hegewich (132nd Street) and brought to MJK, our MJK Alley feeder. She has a serious wound. She is currently in a bathroom, very happy to be out of the elements. She is quite underweight but eating now. She purrs upon touch. We are making veterinary arrangements right now. If you'd like to donate to helping this beautiful and friendly cat, please use our Paypal button, or email us for a location to send a check (hydeparkcats@gmail.com).

Lydia, the one-eyed cat we found this summer, is in her loving forever home. We can do the same for Lucia (found on Lucia Day, December 13).

UPDATE

12:37pm, Tree House will admit Lucia, but we will pledge towards her care. Thank you Treehouse! Lucia is in the car right now. Your donations are still very welcome so that we can help this little beauty whose only desire is to be held and loved. We will update with the vet's assessment as soon as more information is available.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Sometimes people say they don't want a former alley cat or street cat--they only want a "house cat." We believe that all our kitties can be, and want to be, wonderful housecats, if given a chance. During the time they live in a fosterhome, fosterfamily makes sure to expose our kitties to the sights, sounds, and smells of a household and to start training the kitties on basic household etiquette such as using a scratching post and not lounging on the kitchen counter. Of course it's an imperfect art, but here we have some photos of recently adopted cats struggling to adapt to their new environments ...

Friday, December 10, 2010

Qwerty was adopted! Qwerty was one of our MJK Alley Cats -- our mascot, maybe -- he went to Treehouse in March of 2009. He's been living there ever since, in the FIV+ room. Everybody there loved him too! It's taken Qwerty a while to find his forever home but we know he's making some lucky person or persons very happy. GOOD LUCK QWERTY!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Ray Lee has just come in from the outside at Champagne-Furbana. Good work Pam! Fostermom Danna says "he's a ridiculous kitten. I have several nicknames for him: Spaz, Twitch, Squinty, and Stumpy (plus more I've forgotten). The first few days were hilarious: he clearly desperately wanted attention, but would run from me if I came near. He looks in six different directions every second. I managed to get him out of his shell in not very long, so he stopped hiding and started begging, pleading, whining for attention. He has a fat face and short legs. He's an adorable kitten who needs some people (and probably another cat!) to play with. He really is a sweet, adorable, cuddly kitten, and I think his love of attention from people is a very good thing!"

Ray Lee was just neutered (etc.) this past Friday and has been outside all his life before last week. Very shortly he will be more attuned to the life of a housecat. Ray Lee is available for adoption.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Lola G. (g for gray) is being fostered in Hyde Park through Feline Friends. This gray (Russian blue?) beauty loves tuna and purring. She's friendly and mellow and ... I can't stop staring into those eyes. Lola is not even a year old and is sleek and soft. She is spayed, vaxed, etc., and just awaiting her own home for the holiday!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Please join us for a meatball-making party on Saturday afternoon, December 11th (time and location TBD)! The meatballs will be donated to the dogs at the Animal Welfare League's intake facility during our visit there the following day. If you're interested in participating, email Kim at (kriosmorrison) @ (gmail.com).

We've had some wonderful adoptions take place in the last few weeks! Zucca went home. Ginger went home after her forevermom met her and fell in love during our adoption event. Kalla and Rain went home together, heart. Brothers Ramses and Tut are going home together to live with a little human boy. Arancio, aka George, is a "victim" of fosterfailure and is staying put. Louis le Roi and Jada went from their cages at AWL to our fosterhome to forever homes! Sibs Cassie and Kio, home. Siegel found a fantastic home (we laughed when we had to call the President of the AntiCruelty Society for a reference!). And most amazingly, orange sibs Charlie and Ruthie, who were living outside in Kenwood, have found an indoor home together.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Cat 233 in and out of his cage at Animal Welfare League, October. Note 233's attempt to escape by standing on his back legs and sticking his paws out. These shots give you a sense of the size of AWL's cat cages.

Cat 233 relaxing in a spare bedroom in a Hyde Park Cats fosterhome in December.

Certain cats just beat the odds. In October Hyde Park Cats sent a volunteer contingent to Animal Welfare League for cat loving and socializing. There we encountered Cat 233. Meng reported that Cat 233 was "so desperate for some TLC that he would start purring as soon as you touched him." He was very desperate to escape and find a loving home--he stood on his hind legs and put his front paws through the holes in his cat jail and waved them at anyone in the room. He had a cagemate who was adopted, but Cat 233 was still at AWL when volunteers returned a month later. Kim reported at that time that "he was playful and incredibly sweet, as usual."

Well ... we collectively couldn't seem to stop thinking about this one cat. And so he is now in Kim's spare room, and he's named Marlo. He enjoys talking (his meow sounds almost Siamese-like), cuddling with his foster humans, and knowing that it's all going to be better from here on in. Marlo is available for adoption and would make a great Hanukkah gift to yourself.

Friday, December 3, 2010

The (nonprofit) Hyde Park School of Dance is now selling tickets to the annual Nutcracker. This year: your chance to see one of my two very most favorite little HPCats volunteers in a star turn (ok, as a jinglebell) in the preballet show (naches!). Thank you to Terra for donating ad space in the Nutcracker program -- and isn't this ad fantastic? Just one more way that Hyde Park Cats and our Hyde Park community organizations and businesses can work together!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Iggy is a nine-week-old kitten born in a backyard in Woodlawn ... the brother of Cinquo and Madison of recent posts and the son of beautiful Zucca. Looking at Zucca's offspring and how different they are ... Zucca must have been getting busy! Zucca charmed her way into a forever home this past Tuesday. Now it's Iggy and Cinquo's turn! These two are adorable and playful kittens who are perfectly sweet and cuddly too. They love each other and spend tons of time wrestling, playing, and snuggling together. Imagine them playing hockey with a piece of Hanukkah gelt or batting a Christmas-tree ornament around your apartment!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Please join us for our next monthly visit to the Animal Welfare League intake facility on Sunday, December 12th, to cuddle and play with their cats. This is an incredibly rewarding volunteer opportunity, as AWL has many adult cats and kittens who are vying for human attention! The more socialized these kitties become, the better their chances of eventually getting adopted or pulled by a shelter or rescue group. Depending on how many people are interested, we will organize ourselves into 1 1/2- to 2-hour shifts from 10am-3pm. If you don't have a car, we can easily arrange to either carpool or take public transportation together. If you're interested in participating or learning more, email Kim at kriosmorrison@gmail.com.

This is also a good time to gather together old sheets, blankets, and towels that you do not want. We will bring them to AWL for the needy animals there. Some of the animals at the shelter are in bare cages and your old towel is a great comfort to them. .